Gardens on University

    414 S University Rd, Spokane, WA 99206
    • Assisted Living
    • Memory Care
    • Skilled Nursing

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    Amenities

    Healthcare services

    • Activities of daily living assistance
    • Assistance with bathing
    • Assistance with dressing
    • Assistance with transfers
    • Medication management
    • Mental wellness program

    Healthcare staffing

    • 12-16 hour nursing
    • 24-hour call system
    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • Restaurant-style dining
    • Special dietary restrictions

    Room

    • Air-conditioning
    • Cable
    • Fully furnished
    • Housekeeping and linen services
    • Kitchenettes
    • Private bathrooms
    • Telephone
    • Wifi

    Transportation

    • Community operated transportation
    • Transportation arrangement
    • Transportation arrangement (non-medical)

    Common areas

    • Beauty salon
    • Computer center
    • Dining room
    • Fitness room
    • Gaming room
    • Garden
    • Outdoor space
    • Small library
    • Wellness center

    Community services

    • Concierge services
    • Fitness programs
    • Move-in coordination

    Activities

    • Community-sponsored activities
    • Planned day trips
    • Resident-run activities
    • Scheduled daily activities

    Reviews

    3.27·(116)

    Overall rating

    1. 5
    2. 4
    3. 3
    4. 2
    5. 1
    • Care

      3.1
    • Staff

      3.3
    • Meals

      1.8
    • Amenities

      2.9
    • Value

      1.0

    Pros

    • Compassionate, attentive caregiving staff
    • Dedicated nursing assistants who provide hands-on care
    • In-house physical, occupational, and speech therapy services
    • Engaging activities and social programming
    • Welcoming, visitor-friendly environment
    • Staff willingness to go beyond assigned duties
    • Positive caregiver–resident relationships
    • Supportive rehabilitation outcomes and recovery focus
    • Convenient location with nearby transit and shopping
    • Homelike atmosphere in parts of the facility
    • Improving staff stability and morale under new leadership
    • Prompt responsiveness by some nurses and aides

    Cons

    • Chronic understaffing and extended aide shifts
    • Irregular or delayed assistance with personal care activities
    • Medication-management and administration lapses
    • Sanitation and odor concerns in some areas
    • Inconsistent meal quality and food-service practices
    • Poor telephone and front-desk communication responsiveness
    • Inconsistent staff professionalism and communication tone
    • Gaps in clinical oversight and escalation processes
    • Housekeeping and maintenance deficiencies in parts of the building
    • Unclear or inflexible transportation and visitation practices
    • Financial and billing management problems
    • Labor‑law compliance concerns and high staff turnover
    • Infection-control and outbreak management weaknesses
    • Limited dementia-specific programming and supervision

    Summary of reviews

    The reviews present a mixed picture of care at this facility. Many families and observers highlight strong, compassionate hands-on care from aides, nurses, and therapy staff; these caregivers are frequently described as attentive, personable, and willing to go beyond assigned duties. The facility maintains an on-site rehabilitation program (PT/OT/SLP) and offers regular activities and social programming that contribute to positive recovery outcomes and resident engagement. Portions of the building are described as welcoming and homelike, and the location is convenient for visitors with nearby transit and shopping.

    However, a consistent and consequential theme is understaffing. Extended aide shifts and limited staff availability are associated with delays in attending to personal care, slower call-light response times, and variability in the consistency of one-on-one attention. Reviewers describe operational strains that appear to affect basic care processes and the timeliness of assistance. Linked to staffing pressures are concerns about medication management: instances of late, missed, or incorrect medication administration and gaps in chart review and oversight were raised as safety risks.

    Dining and housekeeping show considerable variability. Several accounts note inconsistent meal quality and service practices, including cold or poorly plated meals and irregular meal timing; other reports praise good food and attentive dining staff. Cleanliness and sanitation are another mixed area: while some reviewers describe a clean, well-maintained environment, others note odor concerns, housekeeping lapses, and maintenance needs in parts of the building. These discrepancies suggest uneven implementation of housekeeping and food-service standards across units or shifts.

    Communication and management issues recur across the feedback. Families cite difficulty reaching staff by phone, slow front‑desk responsiveness, unclear transportation and visitation rules, and inconsistent information among staff members. Some reviewers describe positive change under new leadership—improved staff stability and morale—while others report unresolved administrative problems, including billing/payment handling and perceived complacency in the office. Labor-practice concerns and high staff turnover were also mentioned, which can compound operational instability.

    Safety-related themes include concerns about infection-control practices and clinical escalation. A number of reviewers described events that raised questions about how medical changes, wound care, infections, and acute declines are identified and escalated to higher-level clinical providers or emergency services. Families noted instances where closer clinical oversight and clearer communication with family members would have been beneficial.

    In sum, the facility appears to combine genuinely dedicated frontline caregivers and an effective rehab program with systemic operational weaknesses that impact consistency of care. For prospective residents and families, strengths to consider include the therapy services, engaged activities, and caring staff relationships. Areas warranting inquiry during a tour or conversation with leadership include staffing levels and shift coverage, medication-administration protocols and charting, infection-control procedures, sanitation and housekeeping standards, meal-service practices, and the facility’s processes for clinical escalation and family communication. Asking for recent staffing ratios, medication-error reporting processes, cleaning and food-service audits, and examples of recent quality-improvement initiatives may help clarify whether the positive elements are sustained and whether the operational concerns have been addressed.

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    Medicare Ratings

    2·/ 5
    • Overall

    • Health Inspection

    • Staffing

    • Quality Measures

    Ratings from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (Care Compare). View on Medicare.gov

    Location

    Gardens on University is located at 414 S University Rd, Spokane, WA, 99206.

    About Gardens on University

    Gardens On University, at 414 S University Rd in Spokane Valley, provides skilled nursing care and help with rehabilitation whether someone needs to stay for a short while or needs longer care. The facility has 124 licensed beds and has been open since 1987, offering support to people who have complicated health needs. Staff includes nurses, therapists, Certified Nursing Assistants, Shift Leads Med Techs, and prepcooks who all work together. The executive director, along with other leadership roles, manages the day-to-day. The facility takes both private pay and Medicaid for their skilled nursing, assisted living, and therapy services. They handle inpatient and outpatient rehab, respite care, post-acute care, and hospice care solutions. Skilled nurses are always on site, day or night, helping anyone who needs wound care, cardiac therapy, respiratory therapy, or extra help after a hospital stay. Therapists offer physical therapy, speech therapy-including VitalStim for swallowing problems-and occupational therapy, with extra support for nutrition, cancer recovery, and digestive disease. Some days you'll find people joining games, outings, festive group events, or recreational therapy, because activities help everyone live better. Every resident has a care plan built just for them, whether they're trying to recover and stay independent, or they need long-term support. There's a resident council where people talk about life in the facility. Families can expect case management and help with discharge planning when someone's getting ready to go home. Gardens On University is a for-profit facility, operated by Extendicare, which runs many centers across the country, and the staff aim to help people recover, feel included, and have a safe place to stay, though reviews show mixed experiences at this location.

    People often ask...

    Gardens on University offers assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing.

    There are 8 photos of Gardens on University on Mirador.

    The full address for this community is 414 S University Rd, Spokane, WA 99206.

    No, Gardens on University does not offer respite care. Respite care in assisted living communities provides temporary, short-term relief for primary caregivers by offering professional care for their loved ones. It allows individuals to stay in an assisted living community for a limited time, giving caregivers a break while ensuring residents receive necessary support and assistance with daily activities.

    Disclaimer

    Mirador Living is not affiliated with the owner or operator(s) of Gardens on University. The information above has not been verified or approved by the owner or operator. For exact information, please contact Gardens on University directly. There is no cost for this service. We are compensated by the community you select.

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